This invention relates generally to a closure assembly for a liquid container, the assembly including a liquid dispenser such as a brush applicator. More particularly, the liquid dispenser is axially movable for extending substantially completely to the bottom of the container for reaching into the liquid regardless of the level of liquid in the container.
Liquid container closures having a liquid applicator or other type liquid dispenser of a fixed length present several problems in use. For example, the shank on which the dispenser is mounted becomes wetted with liquid when extending into a full or nearly full liquid container, thus presenting a messy condition requiring the shank to be wiped off after the cap is removed from the bottle. Moreover, when the level of liquid in the container is low, the closure must be either threaded down onto the container to assure that the dispenser reaches the liquid, or the closure is unthreaded from the container and the dispenser shank is tilted into a corner of the container to reach the liquid. In either case, the operation is cumbersome without any assurance of the applicator or dispenser reaching the liquid.
Closure assemblies having extendable liquid applicators have been devised, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,313,686 (Proffer), 3,157,905 (Levy) and 4,219,283 (Buckley). In Proffer, the applicator shank is spring biased to a position of maximum expansion relative to the open end of the cap and is equipped with an abutment disc for abutting the outer end of the associated container threaded neck for partially retracting the shank in response to threaded engagement of the cap with the container neck. The shank on the Buckley cap is telescoped requiring extension upon application of a manual downward force on a peg located on a telescoping part of the shank. And, Levy provides for axial shifting of a handle supporting the applicator shank upon threading and unthreading relative to the closure cap.
Each of these attempts made at extending the applicator shank into the liquid container suffers from one or more disadvantages. For example, the Proffer assembly is cumbersome and costly because of the many parts required. In the Buckley assembly, the user's fingers are wetted each time the telescoping shank is manually extended, and the threaded shank of Levy interferes with the threaded engagement between the cap and the bottle when operated.